Measuring and recording instrument



April 23, 1963 G. A. DAWE ET AL 3,087,115

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MEASURING AND RECORDING INSTRUMENT Original Filed May 31, 1957 12 Sheets-Sheet 4 April 1963 G. A. DAWE ETAL 3,087,115

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MEASURING AND RECORDING INSTRUMENT Original Filed May 31, 1957 12 Sheets-Sheet 6 April 3, 1963 G. A. DAWE ETAL MEASURING AND RECORDING INSTRUMENT Original Filed May 31, 1957 12 Sheets-Sheet 9 April 23, 1963 5. A. DAWE ETAL MEASURING AND RECORDING INSTRUMENT Original Filed May 31, 1957 12 Sheets-Sheet 1O INVENTORS Gar/[ea d flame rf'llllllllll"q April 23, 1963 ca. A. DAWE ETAL 3,087,115

MEASURING AND RECORDING INSTRUMENT Original Filed May 31, 1957 12 Sheets-Sheet 11 lNVENTOR-S an/22% dfiwe jaded/ Hum M6 1' ker :06 MM A ril 23, 1963 G. A. DAWE ETAL 3,037,115

MEASURING AND RECORDING INSTRUMENT Original Filed May 51, 1957 12 Sheets-Sheet 12 1M1. Jkerrm Mm g/gs 3,087,115 Patented Apr. 23, 1963 hfice 3,tl87,ll5 MEASURING AND RECORDING INSTRUMENT Garfield A. Dawe, Edward F. Ewen, and Paul H. Sherrick, Chicago, EL, assignors to E. H. Sargent & (30., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Original application May 31, 1957, Ser. No. 662,913, now Patent No. 2,931,964, dated Apr. 5, 1960. Divided and this application Feb. 12, 196i), Ser. No. 8,312

14) Claims. (Cl. fi h-1%) This invention is directed to a measuring and recording instrument and more particularly to a portable or bench type instrument for analytical or testing use in laboratories or the like. This application is a division of our co-pending application, Serial No. 662,913, filed May 31, 1957, now Patent No. 2,931,964.

The measuring and recording instrument of this invention is preferably of the type including a self-balancing potentiometer apparatus, wherein the unbalanced DC. current of the potentiometer circuit is transformed into an alternating current of one phase or of opposite phase depending upon the direction of unbalance of the potentiometer circuit, wherein the alternating current is amplified to operate a reversible electric motor in one direction or the opposite direction depending upon the phase of the alternating current, wherein operation of the reversible electric motor rebalances the potentiometer circuit, and wherein the reversible electric motor also operates a recording mechanism with respect to a moving chart whereby conditions being measured by the potentiometer apparatus are recorded upon the chart.

The principal object of this invention is to incorporate into such a measuring and recording apparatus features which particularly adapt the same for portable or bench type use and for analytical or testing use in laboratories or the like.

Briefly, the measuring and recording instrument embodying the features of this invention includes a hollow substantially rectangular base adapted to rest upon a bench or the like and the potentiometer measuring apparatus and electronic amplifier are removahly housed within the hollow base. A frame is secured to and extends upwardly from the top of the base and it includes a pair of side plates spaced inwardly from the sides of the base. A chart feed roll is rotatably mounted between the side plates adjacent the top of the frame, a chart supply roll is rotatably mounted between the side plates adjacent the bottom rear of the frame, and a chart take-up roll is rotatably mounted between the side plates adjacent the bottom front of the frame. A platen also extends between the side plates adjacent the front of the frame. A chart extends from the chart supply roll over the chart feed roll and the platen to the chart take-up roll. A recording mechanism is movable across the chart adjacent the chart feed roll for recording measured conditions on the chart.

The reversible electric motor which is controlled by the electronic amplifier and which rebalances the potentiometer circuit is carried by one of the side plates and operates the recording mechanism and the balancing slide wire. This reversible motor may also operate an additional slide wire for remote indication or recording pur* poses. Another reversible electric motor is carried by one of the side plates and operates through gearing and an electromagnetic clutch to rotate the chart feed roll in one direction or the other as desired, the speed of operation being determined by selecting gearing of desired ratios. An adjustable speed reducer mechanism may also be utilized for obtaining desired chart speeds. Still another reversible electric motor is carried by one of the side plates and it operates an automatically shifting friction drive wheel which engages either the chart take-up roll or the chart feed roll for selectively rotating the same. These last two mentioned reversible electric motors and the electromagnetic clutch are controlled by a switch mechanism carried by the front of the base.

When the switch mechanism is in a brake position, the clutch is engaged, a DC. braking current is passed through the chart feed roll motor to brake the same, and the friction drive wheel motor is de-energized, so as to lock the chart feed roll and hence the chart in position. When the switch mechanism is shifted to the forward position, the clutch is engaged, the chart feed roll motor is operated to drive the chart feed roll in a direction to feed the chart from the chart supply roll to the chart takeup roll, and the friction drive wheel motor is operated to move the friction drive wheel against the chart take up roll and rotate the same to tension the chart. When the switch mechanism is shifted to reverse position, the clutch is engaged, the chart feed roll motor is operated in the opposite direction to feed the chart from the chart take-up roll to the chart supply roll, and the friction drive wheel motor is operated in the opposite direction to move the friction drive wheel against the chart supply roll and rotate the same to tension the chart in its reverse movement.

When the switch mechanism is shifted to a neutral position, the clutch is released and the chart feed roll motor is deenergized to allow free wheeling of the chart feed roll. in this neutral position the friction drive wheel motor is under the control of a three-position switch, which, when shifted to one position, d e-energizes the motor to allow ready manual manipulation of the chart, and which, when shifted to one or the other of the remaining positions operates the motor in one direction or the other to move the chart rapidly in one or the other of the selected directions. This versatile operation of the chart is extremely beneficial in analytical and testing Work encountered in laboratories or the like. This switch mechanism may also control a remote control circuit for operating other equipment simultaneously with the operation of the chart forwardly and rearwardly as the chart is driven by the chart feed roll motor.

A releasable brake mechanism is also provided for the chart supply roll and the chart take-up roll, this brake mechanism normally braking these rolls for the purpose of maintaining the chart in tension and for maintaining the chart tightly wound on the rolls. The releasable brake mechanism is operated in conjunction with the friction drive Wheel so that, when the friction drive wheel engages and drives the chart take-up roll, the brake mechanism is released from the chart take-up roll, and, when the friction drive wheel engages and drives the chart supply roll, the brake mechanism is released from the chart supply roll.

A housing is secured to and extends above the top of the hollow base and encloses the frame and the parts carried thereby. The housing is open in the front to expose the chart where it passes over the platen for visually displaying the measured conditions recorded on the chart and for permitting marking notations on the chart. The platen is pivotally mounted so that it may be swung outwardly to facilitate marking notations on the chart. The sides of the housing are pivotally mounted so as to be opened to provide access to the various motors, clutch and gearing. Suiiicient space is provided between the side plates and the sides of the housing to allow storage for the interchangeable gears for the chart feed roll, recording pens and the like.

The front of the hollow base removably carries a front panel which, in turn, carries various components of the potentiometer apparatus, and, likewise, the rear of the base also removably carries a rear panel which, in turn, carries various components of the amplifier and portions of the potentiometer apparatus which need replacement from time to time. By removing the panels substantially all of the components are made accessible for service and repair. All of the adjustments and controls used in the normal operation of the machine are carried by the front panel for convenient manipulation.

The potentiometer apparatus includes a plurality of range adjusting resistances for providing a series of related full scale ranges, for example, 1.25, 2.5, 5.0, 12.5, 25, 50, 125, 250, 500, 12.50 and 2500, which are selectively brought into play by a multiple position switching mechanism arranged on the front panel. These related full scale ranges may all be utilized with a common recording chart having, for example, five main chart areas numbered between 0, 50, 100, 150; 200 and 250, each main chart area having five sub-areas, and each sub-area having ten basic areas. This straight line relation between the full scale ranges and the chart designations provides for extreme flexibility which is particularly beneficial in analytical and test work done in laboratories or the like. The main time areas on the chart are 1 inch and each is divided into 10 sub-areas. By means of selecting appropriate gearing the chart may be driven by the chart feed roll at speeds of /3, /2, 1, 1 /2, 2, 2 /3, 4, 8 and 12 inches per minute, and these speeds may be increased by times or decreased by 5 times by the adjustable speed reducer mechanism. These time designations on the chart and these chart speed selections also provide for extreme flexibility which is particularly beneficial in analytical and test work.

The potentiometer apparatus also includes a unit selecting mechanism for selectively measuring volts, millivolts, milliamps. and microamps., which also is extremely desirable in analytical and testing procedures encountered in laboratories and the like, and, here, this is further tied in with the full scale ranges so that all of these units in various ranges may be recorded on a common chart.

Provision is also made in the potentiometer apparatus for chart range displacement, this being accomplished with a separate cell and a multiple switching mechanism for obtaining high, medium, low or no amounts of displacement. Each of these displacement amounts may also be continuously adjusted at will. By manipulating this multiple switching mechanism, the exact amount of chart range displacement may be recorded on the chart.

Another provision of the potentiometer apparatus of this invention eliminates or at least greatly minimizes the need for standardizing the potentiometer circuit over long periods of time. Here, the usual high current batteries or cells, which are connected in series with the standardizing rheostat across the slide wire for supplying balancing voltage thereto, have low current, substantially constant voltage batteries or cells connected in parallel thereto. A resistor is connected in series with the high current batteries or cells to drop the voltage produced thereby slightly below the voltage produced by the low current, substantially constant voltage batteries or cells. Substantially all of the current supplied to the slide wire comes from the high current batteries or cells and substantially none from the low current batteries or cells, and the latter operate to keep the voltage across the slide wire substantially constant. As a result frequent standardizing, as required in the past, is eliminated, and only infrequent standardizing is required, if at all. A switch is connected across the dropping resistor in series with the high current batteries or cells and is automatically closed to shunt the resistor when the low current batteries or cells are removed from the potentiometer circuit, so that the high current batteries or cells may be used in the conventional manner for applying a voltage across the slide wire.

The potentiometer apparatus also includes a calibrating potentiometer for initially calibrating the instrument from a known voltage source so as to assure full travel of the recording mechanism across the chart over the range of voltage applied and to compensate for inaccuracies in the recording mechanism, as, for example, the diameter of the cable drum which drives the recording mechanism.

An adjustable degenerative feedback is applied from the reversible electric motor which rebalances the potentiometer apparatus to the second stage of amplification of the electronic amplifier which controls the operation of the rebalancing electric motor for damping on anti-hunting purposes. A pushbutton switching mechanism which is operated for the purpose of standardizing the potentiometer apparatus also operates to decrease the amount of degenerative feedback during potentiometer standardizing operation which makes possible quicker and more accurate standardizing.

As expressed above, the DC. current in the potentiometer circuit is converted to an alternating current of one phase or of opposite phase in accordance with the direction of unbalance of the potentiometer circuit, and this alternating current is amplified for controlling the operation of the electric motor for rebalancing the potentiometer circuit. Preferably, the alternating current so produced is a 60 cycle alternating current. If a 60 cycle alternating stray current is picked up in the potentiometer circuit, it is converted into a cycle alternating current, which is applied to the amplifier. This 120 cycle alternating current which produces no turning effect upon the motor will, however, if it is of sufficent magnitude, operate to swamp the amplifier. Accordingly, the amplifier of the instrument of this invention is provided, between the second and third states of amplification thereof, with a filter which passes a narrow band centered at a frequency of 60 cycles and which provides excellent rejection of 120 cycles. Thus, swamping of the amplifier due to 60 cycle stray pickup currents in the potentiometer circuit is prevented. It is here noted that the degenerative feedback from the electric motor is fed into the amplifier ahead of the filter, so that any 120 cycle component in the feedback current is also filtered out to provide for maximum damping effects.

All of the various foregoing features, while being of themselves individually important, also structurally and functionally cooperate to provide an extremely reliable, accurate and flexible portable bench type measuring and recording instrument which is particularly adaptable for analytical and testing purposes in laboratories and the like.

Other objects of this invention reside in the details of construction of the measuring and recording instrument and in the cooperative relationships between the component parts thereof.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the accompanying specification, claims and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the measuring and recording instrument of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial view of a recording chart utilized in the measuring and recording instrument illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the measuring and recording instrument as illustrated in FIG. 1 with the upper housing shown in sectional view, which is taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the instrument taken substantially along the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the upper portion of the instrument as shown by the line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the instrument look ing from the left of FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, as illustrated by the line 66 of PEG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view through the instrument taken substantially along the line l-7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the end or" the chart feed roll illustrated in the upper left hand portion of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view through the chart supply roll taken substantially along the line 99 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the mechanism utilized in driving the recording mechanism which is located at the left of FIG. 3 and the upper left hand portion of FIG. 5, and having a portion thereof broken away for clarity;

FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 11-11 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 1212 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the gear mechanism for driving the chart feed roll and is taken substantially along the line 1313 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 14 is a vertical sectional view through the electro magnetic clutch which drives the chart feed roll and is taken substantially along the line 14-14 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 15 is a vertical sectional view through another portion of the gearing for driving the chart feed roll and is taken substantially along the line 15-15 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 16 is a horizontal sectional view through the hollow base of the instrument and is taken substantially along the line 16-46 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 17 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the hollow base and is taken substantially along the line 17-17 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 18-18 of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 19-19 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 20 is a wiring diagram of the potentiometer apparatus;

FIG. 21 is a wiring diagram of the electronic amplifier illustrating the manner in which the reversible electric motor for rebalancing the potentiometer apparatus is operated, and or" the circuit arrangement for operating the electro magnetic clutch, the chart feed roll motor, and the friction drive wheel motor. This wiring diagram also includes the converter or chopper and the input transformer which is illustrated in FIG. 20 for the purpose of showing the relationships between the wiring diagrams of FIGS. 20 and 21;

FIG. 22 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 2222 of FIG. 3 and illustrating the platen tilted outwardly;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a portion of the frame with the platen tilted outwardly;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 23 but illustrating the platen almost in closed position;

FIG. 25 is a sectional view through the left hand portions of FIGS. 23 and 24;

FIG. 26 is a vertical sectional view through the friction drive wheel mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 7 and taken substantially along the line 26-26 of FIGS. 4 and 7;

FIG. 2i7 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-7-27 of FIG. 26;

FIG. 28 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 28--28 of FIG. 26;

FIG. 29* is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 29-49 of FIG. 26;

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of the slip friction control mechanism illustrated at the right hand side of FIG. 26;

FIG. 31 is a vertical sectional view through the slip friction control mechanism and is taken substantially along the line 31-31 of FIG. 26;

FIG. 32 is a view similar to the upper portion of FIG. 6, but showing an additional slide wire mechanism for remote indicating purposes;

FIG. 33 is an enlarged view of the pen carriage as seen at the top of FIG. 7;

FIG. 34 is a sectional view through the pen carriage taken substantially along the line 3434- of FIG. 33;

FIG. 35 is an elevational view similar to the top of FIG. 4 but illustrating the addition of an adjustable speed reducer mechanism between the chart feed roll motor and the selective gearing driven thereby;

FIG. 36 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3636 of FIG. 35;

FIG. 37 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3737 of FIG. 36;

FIGS. 38 and 39 are diagrammatic views illustrating different positions of the gears in the adjustable speed reducer mechanism;

Referring first to FIGS. 1, 3 4 and 16, the measuring and recording instrument of this invention is generally designated at '10. It includes a hollow substantially rectangular base :11 having side walls 12 and a top wall 13. The bottom wall, which may or may not be open, is provided with a circumferential rib 14 for resting the base 11 upon a bench or the like. The front and rear walls of the base 11 are open and are, respectively, closed by panels 15 and 16. The front panel 15, which may be removably secured in place by screws 385 or the like, carries a chassis 17, which, in turn, supports and carries substantially all of the potentiometer circuit components illustrated in FIG. 20. The rear panel 16, which may be removably secured in place by suitable latches 387 or the like, carries a chassis 18 incorporating substantially all of the components of the electronic amplifier illustrated in FIG. 21. This rear panel 16 also carries the various batteries or cells utilized in the potentiometer apparatus of FIG. 20. By removing the panels 15 and 17, the various electrical components are made readily accessible for service or repair. Substantially all of the adjustments and control devices are mounted on the front panel 15 for ready access in the normal operation of the measuring and recording instrument.

The measuring and recording instrument, as more clearly shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, includes a frame 20 which extends upwardly from the top of the hollow base 11. This frame 26 includes a pair of vertically arranged spaced side plates 21 and 2 2, which are secured together at their tops by a rod 23, and at their bottoms by rods 24 and 25, the side plate 22 being provided with a stop pin 26. Extending between the side plates 21 and 22 is a rod 28, operating as a guide for the recording chart. The top wall 13 of the hollow base 11 is provided with three bosses, two of which, indicated at 29, underlie the rod 24, and one of which, indicated at 32, underlies the rod 25. Thus, the frame 29 has a three-point support upon the base 11. Hooks 30 receive the rods 24 and 25 adjacent the bosses 29 and 32, these hooks extending downwardly through holes in the top wall 13 of the base 11, and being provided with wing nuts 31 for clamping the rods 24 and 25 at three points against the bosses 2 and 32. Thus, the frame 20 is firmly secured at three points to the base 11 and because of this three-point fastening the building up of stresses and strains in the frame is prevented.

Adjacent the top of the frame 20, a shaft 34 extends between the side plates 21 and 22 and is rotatably mounted therein by ball bearings 35. As shown more particularly in FIG. 14, the ball bearings 35 include an inner race 36 secured to the shaft 34 and a flanged outer race 37 secured to the side plate 22. The shaft 34 carries a chart feed roll 38, the feed roll including a sleeve carried by hubs 39 and 40 which, in turn, are secured to the shaft 34. The hubs 39 and 40, respectively, carry radiating pins 41 and 42, which are, respectively, received in holes 44 and slots 45 in a recording chart 43. Thus, as the chart feed roll 38 is rotated, the pins 41 and 42 cooperate with the holes 44 and slots 45 and opthe inner race of the ball bearing 35.

a,os7,115

erate to move the chart 43. Any transverse expansion and contraction of the chart .3 with respect to the feed roll 38 is permitted by the slots 45. In this respect the side of the chart 43 having holes 44 is fixed with respect to the chart feed roll 33, and the other side having the slots 45 is allowed to move laterally with respect to the feed roll 38. The upscale direction of the chart 43 is from right to left, as viewed in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5. A spring 46 arranged about the shaft 46 between the side plate 21 and the chart feed roll hub 40 maintains the chart feed roll in proper longitudinal position with respect to the frame 24].

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 4, and 14, the end of the shaft 34, which extends beyond the side plate 22, has a clutch plate 47 secured thereto by a pin 48, this clutch plate 47 carrying a friction clutch member 49. A gear 50 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 34 by a ball bearing 51 having an outer race 52 secured to the gear 50, and an inner race 53 slidably mounted on the shaft 34. A collar 54, also slidably carried by the shaft 34, is

engaged by one end of a compression spring 55, the other end of which engages a washer 56 hearing against This spring 55 operates normally to urge the gear 56 outwardly into engagement wtih the clutch friction member 49, so that as the gear 50 is rotated, the clutch plate 47 is rotated to rotate the chart feed roll 38. In other words, the clutch is normally engaged to drive the chart feed roll 38. Secured to the side plate 22 about the shaft 34 and spring 55, is an electro magnet 57 having an energizing coil 58. This electro magnet is preferably a DC. electro magnet and when the operating coil 58 thereof is energized, the gear 5% is attracted against the action of the spring 55 to separate the gear 5%) from the friction clutch member 49 so as to release the clutch and hence release the driving connection between the gear 51 and the shaft 34 and chart feed roll 38. Thus, when the electro magnet 57 is de-energized, the gear 50 is clutched to the shaft 34 to rotate the chart feed roll 38 and when the electro magnet 57 is energized, the gear 5% is declutched from the shaft 34, and the shaft 34 and chart feed roll 32 are permitted to rotate freely.

A chart supply roll 69 is rotatably mounted between the side plates 21 and 22 adjacent the bottom rear of the frame 26. The construction of the chart supply roll 69 and the manner in which it is rotatably mounted, is illustrated more clearly in FIG. 9. Here, the chart supply roll 6t which is the usual cardboard roll or the like, upon which the chart 43 is normally rolled, is mounted at one end upon a flanged hub 61 and at the other end upon a flanged hub 62. The flanged hubs 61 and 62 are secured to shafts 63 and 64, respectively, which, in turn, are journalled for rotation in ball bearings 65 and (=6 carried by the side plates 22 and 21. The end of the chart supply roll 60, which is carried by the flanged hub 61 is provided with a notch for receiving a pin 67 secured in the flanged hub 61 for the purpose of locking the chart roll 60 to the flanged hub 61. The flanged hub 61 bears against a washer on the shaft adjacent the bearing 65 and is maintained there-against by a spring 68 disposed between the flanged hub 62 and a washer on the shaft adjacent the bearing 66 carried by the side plate 21. This construction, therefore, provides proper alignment of the chart supply roll 60 with respect to the chart feed roll 33. To apply or remove the chart supply roll 66 to and from the flanged hubs 61 and 62, all that is necessary is to move the flanged hub 62 outwardly towards the side plate 21 against the action of the spring 63. The chart supply roll 60 may be manually rotated by a knob 69 secured to the outer end of the shaft 60 by a set screw 79: or the like.

A chart take-up roll 72 is rotatably mounted between the side plates 21 and 22. adjacent the bottom front of the frame 20. Here, also, the chart take-up roll 72 may be the conventional cardboard roll for the chart 4-3 and it is carried by flanged hubs 73 and 74 which, in turn, are carried by shafts 75 and 76 also mounted for rotation in suitable ball bearings carried by the side plates 22 and 21. The construction of the mounting for the chart take-up r ll 72 is substantially the same as that described above with respect to the chart supply roll 60 and it also includes a spring 77 for maintaining proper alignment of the chart take-up roll 72 with respect to the chart feed roll 33. Here, also, the shaft 75, carrying the flanged hub 73, is provided at its outer end with a knob 78 to form a means for manually rotating the chart take-up roll 72.

A platen 8d extends between the side plates 21 and 22 and is provided with edge flanges 81 overlying the side plates, the platen 80 being more clearly illustrated in FIGS. 23 to 25. The upper ends of the edge flanges 81 are provided with spring clips 4% which receive pins 401 carried by the side plates 21 and 22 for tiltably and removably mounting the platen 80 at its upper end to the side plates 21 and 22. The lower end of the platen 80 is provided with a rod 27 having pins 402 extending through holes in the edge flanges 81, the rod 27 acting as a guide bar for the chart. The pins 4492 are received in slots 403 in the side plates 21 and 22 for guiding the platen when the platen is swung to closed position. An apron 404 is arranged below the platen 8i? and is provided with a pair of spring clips 4'05 receiving the pins 402 for swingably and removably attaching the apron 494 to the bottom of the platen 80. When the platen 80 is swung outwardly, as illustrated in FIGS. 22 and 23, the lower end of the apron 404 is received within the notches 403 in the side plates 21 and 22 for holding the platen in tilted position. When the platen is so tilted it provides a convenient table to assist in writing notations upon the chart.

The chart 43 extends from the chart supply roll 60 over the rod 28, over the chart feed roll 38, over the platen 8t? and over the rod 27 to the chart take-up roll 72. Thus, as the chart feed roll 38 is rotated in a forward direction,

the chart is fed from the chart supply roll 60 to the chart take-up roll 72. When the chart feed roll 38 is rotated in a rearward direction, the chart is fed from the chart take-up roll 72 to the chart supply roll 60. The platen 8t which is arranged behind the chart 43 at the front of the instrument, provides a tiltable backing for the char-t so that suitable notations may be inscribed upon the chart, if this be desired. A chart tearoff bar 82, having graduations corresponding to the graduations on the chart, is arranged across the chart above the platen 80 and is removably secured at its ends to the side plates 21 and 22. This chart tearoif bar 82 provides a means whereby the chart may be torn off, if this be desired.

The side plate 22 carries a bracket 85 behind the electro magnetic clutch 57, and this bracket 85, as shown more clearly in PEG. 13, is provided with bearings 86 for rotatably mounting a shaft 87. A collar 88 is secured to the shaft 87 by a pin 89, and a gear 90 is secured to the collar 88. This gear 96 meshes with the gear 54? for driving the chart feed roll 33 through the electro magnetic clutch. A spring 91 interposed between one of the bearings 35 and a self-locking nut 92 carried by the shaft 87 maintains the gear 90 against the outer bearing 86 in proper alignment with the gear 50. The collar 88 removably carries a gear 93 by means of screws 94.

The bracket 85 also carries a reversible electric motor 96 which is preferably a synchronous capacitor motor, such as a Bodine KYC-23 or Borg 1003-45Y motor,

which has a shaft 97 driven at a speed of 1 r.p.m'. As

shown more clearly in FIG. 15, the motor shaft 97 has a hub 93 secured thereto, and screws 1G0 removably securing a gear 99 to the hub 98. The gear 99 meshes with the gear 93 so that as the electric motor is operated in one direction or the other, it operates through the gears 99, 93, 96, 5t) and the electro magnetic clutch to rotate the chart feed roll 38 in one direction or the opposite direction. The gears 93 and 99 are interchangeable gears, and by proper selection of ratios between the gears 93 and 99, the chart feed roll 38 may be driven at any desired selected speed, as for example, speeds of /3, /2, 1, 1 /2, 2, 2%, 4, 8 and 12 inches per minute. The interchangeable gears 93 and 99, which are not in use, may be mounted on a vertically extending pin 101 carried by the top wall 13 of the base 11 just outside of the side plate 22. In this way, the interchangeable gears which are not in use may be conveniently stored within the instrument.

Rotatably mounted between the side plates 21 and 22 and between the chart supply roll 60 and the chart takeup roll 72 adjacent the bottom of the frame 20, is a shaft 105, this shaft 105 being driven by a reversible electric motor 106 secured to the side plate 21. This reversible electric motor 106 is preferably a reversible capacitor in duction motor such as Bodine KCI-ZBRB or Borg 1007- 45Y motor, and it operates to rotate the shaft 105 in one direction or the other at a speed of substantially 140 rpm.

As shown more clearly in FIGS. and 26, the reversible electric motor 106 drives a stub shaft 107 rotatably mounted by a ball bearing in the side plate 21. The outer end of the shaft 105 is rotatably mounted in a ball hearing in the side plate 22 and the inner end of the shaft 105 abuts the stub shaft 107. A sleeve 108 rotatably encompasses the ends of the shafts 105 and 107 for supporting the same and keeping the same in axial alignment. A U-shaped spring 109 is received in a hole in the stub shaft 107 and extends along the sleeve 108, the ends of the spring 109 being received in holes in a collar 110 secured to the shaft 105 by a screw 111. Thus, as the shaft 107 is rotated by the reversible electric motor 106, the shaft 105 is resiliently driven by means of the U-shaped spring 109.

A pinion 112 is secured to the shaft 105 and a carrier 113 is rota-tably mounted by bearings 114 on the shaft 105 adjacent the pinion 112. The carrier 113 has a stub shaft 115 secured thereto by a pin 116, the carrier 113 having a ring 117 of hardened steel suitably secured thereto as by cementing. A friction drive wheel 118 is rotatably mounted 011 the stub shaft 115 and it also has secured thereto, as by cementing or the like, a hardened steel ring 121. A gear 119 meshing with the pinion 112 is rotatably mounted on the stub shaft 115 between the rings 117 and 121 secured to the carrier 113 and the friction drive wheel 118, respectively. The friction drive wheel 118 is provided with a resilient rim 120 formed of rubber or the like, which is adapted to engage the chart 43 on either the chart supply roll 60 or the chart take-up roll 72. The gear 119 is preferably formed from nylon and is grease-packed to provide desired frictional characteristics between the gear 119 and the hardened steel rings 117 and 121 secured to the carrier 113 and friction drive wheel 118.

The friction drive wheel 118 is rotatably mounted on the stub shaft 115 by a ball bearing 410 having an outer race 411 secured to the friction drive wheel and an inner race 412 slidably mounted on the stub shaft 115. Washers 413 and 415 are located on the stub shaft 115, and a spring 414 is interposed between these washers, the spring 414 being backed up by a nut 416 threaded on the stub shaft 115. The spring 414 operates through the washer 413 against the inner race 412 of the ball bearing 410 for pressing the ring 121 of the friction drive wheel against the gear 119 and for pressing the gear 119 against the ring 117 of the carrier 113 to provide slip friction driving means for the carrier 113 and the friction drive wheel 118. The rings 117 and 121 therefore act equally upon the gear 119 and by appropriately adjusting the compression in the spring 414 proper frictional drive is provided for driving the chart 43 and for rotating the carrier 113 about the shaft 105 to engage the friction roll 60 of the chart take-up roll 72.

When the reversible electric motor 106 is operated to drive the shaft in a forward direction, a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 4 and 7, and a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 27, the carrier 113 is rotated about the shaft 105 to cause the friction drive wheel 118 to engage the chart 43 on the chart take-up roll 72, and the pinion 112 drives the gear 119 and hence drives the friction drive wheel 118 to rotate the chart take-up roll 72 in a forward direction to wind the chart upon the chart take-up roll. When, however, the reversible electric motor 106 is operated in the opposite direc tion to drive the shaft 105 in the rearward or counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 4 and 7, or in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 27, the carrier 113 is rotated about the shaft 105 to cause the friction drive wheel 118 thereof to engage the chart 43 on the chart supply roll 60, and also rotates the pinion 112, gear 119 and friction drive wheel 118 in the opposite or rearward direction to rotate the chart supply roll 60 in a rearward direction to wind the chart upon the chart supply roll.

A slip friction mechanism, consisting of two semi circular parts 118 and 119, is mounted on the shaft 105 adjacent the carrier 113. The two parts 418 and 419 are held together and are pressed against the shaft 105 by a spring clip 420. As the shaft 105 is rotated in one direction or the opposite direction, the slip friction mechanism is frictionally driven in said directions. The various parts are maintained in proper position along the shaft 105 between the pinion 112 and the side plate 22 by a spacer sleeve 422. The part 419 of the slip friction mechanism carries a pin 421 for selectively actuating a brake mechanism for the chart supply roll 60 and the chart take-up roll 72.

This brake mechanism includes a bracket 425 which is secured by screws 426 to the side plate 22, one of the screws 426 carrying the stop rod 26 for the carrier 113. A U-shaped leaf spring 427 is secured by a screw 430 to the bracket 425, the arms of the leaf spring 427 carrying brake shoes 428 and 429 normally engaging the flanges 61 and 73 of the chart supply roll 60 and the chart take up roll 72, respectively. The pin 421 on the sli friction mechanism engages one or the other of the legs of the leaf spring 427 for releasing the brake shoe 428 or the brake shoe 429.

When the shaft 105 is rotated in one direction for driving the chart supply roll 60, the pin 421 engages the leaf spring 427 to release the brake 428 from the hub 61 of the chart supply roll 60 so that the chart supply roll 60 may be properly driven. At this time the brake shoe 429 engages the hub 73 of the chart take-up roll 72 for maintaining tension in the chart 43. When the shaft 105 is rotated in the opposite direction by the reversible electric motor 106 to rotate the chart take-up roll 72, the pin 421 on the slip friction mechanism engages the leaf spring 427 to release the brake shoe 429 from the hub 73 0f the chart take-up roll so that the chant take-up roll 72 may be properly driven. At this time the brake shoe 428 is engaging the hub 61 of the chart supply roll 60 to maintain proper tension in the chart 43.

As the shaft 105 is rotated in one direction or the opposite direction by the reversible electric motor 106, the U-shaped spring 109, connecting the shaft 107 to the shaft 105, is flexed to cause the shaft 105 to lag behind the shaft 107. When the reversible electric motor is de-energized, the U-shaped spring 109 operates to rotate the motor 106 in the direction opposite to the direction in which it had been operating by reason of the spring pressure built up in the spring. As the motor is so rotated by the spring 109, it coasts beyond the position where the spring pressure in the spring 109 becomes neutral and, as a result, carries with it the shaft 105 to move the carrier 113 to its midposition and to move the pin 421 of the slip friction mechanism away from the spring arms 427 carrying the brake shoes 428 and 429. Thus, when the reversible electric motor is deenergized, the friction drive wheel 118 is ace /,1

positively moved out of engagement with the chart supply roll 60 and the chart take-up roll 72 and the brake shoes 428 and 429 engage the hubs 61 and 73 of those chart rolls so as to maintain the chart rightly wound on those chart rolls even though the chart rolls are rotatably supported by ball bearings to provide the minimum amount of friction against rotation when rotation is desired.

When the chant feed roll 38 is operated in the forward direction through the electro magnetic clutch 57 by the reversible motor 96 to feed the chart 43 from the chart supply roll 60 to the chart take-up roll 72, the reversible electric motor 106 is also operated in a forward direction to engage the friction drive Wheel 118 with the chart on the chart take-up roll 72 to rotate the chart take-up roll in the forward or clockwise direction. The electric motor 106 operates normally to drive the friction drive wheel 118 at a much faster rate than the rate of chart feed by the chart feed roll 38 and due to the friction connection between the gear 119 and the friction drive wheel 11%. the friction drive wheel 11S operates to tension the chart 43 between the chart feed roll 38 and the chart take-up roll 72, the chart between the chart supply roll 60 and the chart feed roll 38 being tensioned by the brake shoe 428. Likewise, when the chart feed roll 38 is operated in the rearward direction by the reversible electric motor 36 through the electro magnetic clutch 57 to feed the chart 43 from the chart take-up roll 72 to the chart supply roll 61), the reversible electric motor 1196 is operated in the opposite or rearward direction to move the friction drive wheel 118 into engagement with the chart 43 on the chart supply roll 60 to drive the chart supply roll 60 in a counterclockwise direction. Here, again, the friction drive between the gear 119 and the friction drive wheel 113 causes the friction drive wheel 118 to tension the chart between the chart feed roll 38 and the chart supply r01 60, the chart between the chart take-up roll 72 and the chart feed roll 33 being tensioned by the brake shoe 429. When, however, the electro magnet 57 of the clutch is energized to release the clutch for the chart feed roll 33, the chart feed roll becomes free-wheeling and the chart is driven in one direction or the other by the electric motor 1116 through the friction drive wheel 118. When this occurs, there is no substantial slipping of the friction drive wheel 118 with respect to the gear 119 so that the friction drive wheel 118 is operated at maximum speed to move the chart in one direction or the other at a considerably greater speed than it is moved by the chart feed roll 38, as, for example, feet per minute. When the reversible electric motor 106 is operated in a forward direction under these conditions, the chart is advanced from the chart supply roll to the chart take-up roll at a rapid rate and conversely when the reversible electric motor 106 is operated in the opposite or rearward direction, the chart 43 is driven at a rapid rate from the chart take-up roll 72 to the chart supply roll 60. Thus, the friction drive wheel 118 operates, when the chart feed roll 38 is operated through the clutch, to tension the chart, regardless of direction of the chart feed, and it also operates when the electro magnetic clutch is released to drive the chart in a forward or a rearward direction at a rapid rate. There is, thus, provided a chart drive arrangement having great versatility, which is particularly adaptable for use in a recording instrument utilized for analytical or testing work in scientific laboratories or the like.

As shown more clearly in FIGS. 3, 5, 6, 10* and 11, a bracket 125 is secured to the side plate 21 of the frame 20. Secured to the bottom of this bracket is a reversible electric motor 126 which is preferably a two-phase capacitor induction motor, such as a Bodine KLI-24RB motor. This is the motor which is controlled by the electronic amplifier and which operates to rebalance the potentiometer circuit and to operate the recording mechanism. This motor operates to rotate the motor shaft 127 at a speed of substantially 325 rpm. Also mounted upon the bracket 125 above the reversible electric motor 126, is a slide wire assembly having a slide wire section 128 and a collector section 129. The upper slide wire section 128 is a tenturn potentiometer consisting of about 35011 convolutions of manganin wire with a total resistance of about 300 ohms, which is wound on an insulated copper mandrel. This winding is shunted with a precision resistor 175 of about 1500 ohms, so that the series equivalent resistance of the ten-turn winding and the shunt is about 250 ohms+0.l percent. The bottom or collector section 129 is identical to the top section with the exception that the winding is wound on a bare copper mandrel so that its resistance is practically zero. The thermal e.m.f. developed between the brush and the winding is equal and opposite to that of the top section 128 and, consequently, they cancel. The brushes used for both sections 128 and 129 are preferably made of a gold alloy, which is soft enough to prevent excessive wear on the windings. The brushes are rotated with respect to the windings in the sections 128 and 129 by a shaft 131, which extends upwardly and downwardly from the slide wire assembly. The lower end of the slide wire assembly shaft 131 is arranged in susbtantial alignment with the motor shaft 127. The motor shaft 127 drives the slide wire assembly shaft 131 through an overlapping connection consisting of a fitting 132 secured to the shaft 127 and provided with a fiat surface which engages a fiat surface on a fitting 133 secured to the shaft 131. An appreciable clearance is provided between the flat surfaces of the overlapping connection to accommodate any possible misalignment with may exist between the shaft 127 and 131. Thus, as the electric motor 126 is operated in one direction or other, the slide wire assembly 12 8, 129 is correspondingly operated.

The upper end of the slide wire assembly shaft 131 carries a pinion 135 which meshes with a gear 136 rotatable on a vertical shaft 137. As shown more clearly in FIG. 12, this shaft 137 is secured to a bracket 138 which, in turn, is secured to the bracket 125 by screws 13?. Also rotatably mounted on the shaft 137 and secured to the gear 136 is a drum 149 which is utilized for operating the recording mechanism. The gear 136 and drum 141) may be journalled on the shaft 137 by a suitable bearing 136'. On the opposite side of the instrument, as shown more clearly in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, there is a pulley 141 rotatably carried by a shaft secured in a bracket 142 carried by the bracket 35. The forward edge of the pulley 141 is in substantial transverse alignment with the forward edge of the drum 140.

Located and extending between the side plates 21 and 22 above the chart feed roll 38 is a guide bar 144 upon which is slidably mounted a pen carriage 145 of a recording mechanism. The pen carrier 145 removably carries a pen 146, such as a ball point pen, which normally rests upon the chart 43 where it engages the chart feed roll 38. The weight of the pen carriage 145 normally urges the same toward the chart feed roll 33 to provide proper pressure for the engagement of the pen 146 on the chart. The pen carriage 145 carries a pair of magnetic fingers 14 7 which extend rearwardly above the rod 23 so that when the carriage 145 is tilted rearwardly to lift the pen 146 from the chart, it is magnetically held in this rearwardly tilted position by the magnetic action between the fingers 1 16 and the rod 23. This magnetic action also operates to prevent the carriage 145 from falling against the chart when the pen 146 is removed from the carriage. The carriage 145 is also provided with a clip 148 for securing the same to a cable 149 which extends over the drum 146 and the pulley 141. To accommodate variations in diameters of the pen 146, the pen carriage 145 is provided with adapter bushings 431 which are held in place by set screws 432, as shown in FIGS. 33 and 34.

One end of the cable 149 is secured to the drum at point 151 and the cable extends from the drum 140 over the pulley 141 and back to the drum 141i and at least partially therearound. The other end of the cable extends through a slot in the side of the drum and is connected at 152 to one end of a coil spring 153, the other end of which is secured to a pin 154 carried by the drum 140. When the pen carriage is completely down scale, that is, to the right, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5, the end of the cable at 151 is adjacent the front of the instrument and when the pen carriage is moved completely up scale the other end of the cable at 152 is adjacent the rear of the instrument, as illustrated in FIG. 10. At all times, there is substantially one complete turn of the cable 149 on the drum 14-0. The spring 153 is utilized for maintaining tension in the cable so that the pen carriage 145 is at all times moved accurately with respect to the movement of the drum 140 by the reversible electric motor 126.

The bottom of the gear 136 carries a pin 156 which is adapted to engage an abutment member 157 when the pen carriage is moved to its extreme up scale position so as to provide a positive but yet resilient stop for the pen carriage. The abutment member 157 is slidably mounted on a stud 158 secured by nuts 159 and 160 to the bracket 125. The stud 158 carries a sleeve 161 against which the abutment member 127 is urged by a spring 162. Preferaby, the sleeve 161 is made of plastic or the like. The spring 162 is backed up by a washer 163 and nuts 164 secured to thestud 158. Thus, when the gear is rotated to drive the pen up scale, the pin 156 engages the abutment member 157 when the pen carriage reaches the extreme up scale position to provide a resilient stop for the gear 136, and to prevent over-travel of the pin carriage.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the frame 20 and the various elements carried thereby, are enclosed within a housing 167, which is provided with internal ribs 168 by which the housing is secured by screws 169 to the top wall 13 of the hollow base 11. The top of the housing has are movable and hinged top cover 170, which has a slot therein for accommodating the pen 146. The sides 171 of the housing are pivotally mounted to the back wall of the housing by means of pivot pins 172 so that the housing sides may be swung open about the pivot pins to provide ready access to the frame and the various elements carried thereby. The sides 171 of the housing may be releasably secured in closed position by suitable latches 173. The front of the housing, between the sides 171, is open so as to expose the chart 43 so that the recorded information thereon may be observed and so that suitable markings may be manually applied to the chart, if this be desired. The sides 171 of the housing extend outwardly from the side plates 21 and 22 of the frame, and provide storage space in which the interchangeable gears 93 and 99 may be stored when not in use, and in which other items, such as replacement pens and the like, may also be stored.

FIG. 20 is a wiring diagram of the potentiometer apparatus which measures the conditions to be recorded by the recording mechanism on the chart, and it includes the slide wire assembly described above, including the slide wire winding 128 and the collector winding 129, which are bridged by contacts which, in turn, are operated by the reversible electric motor 126. As expressed above, the slide wire winding 128 is shunted with a resistor 175 so that the series equivalent resistance thereof is 250 ohms+0.1 percent. Associated with the slide wire 128 is a multiple range control mechanism generally designated at 176, this mechanism including a plurality of shunt resistances 177 connected at one of their ends to a conductor or bus 178, and at their other ends to contacts 179 of a multiple switch device having a blank contact at 180. It also includes a plurality of series resistors 181 which are connected at one of their ends to the conductor or bus 178, and at their other ends to contacts 182 of the multiple switch device, also having a contact 183 which is connected to the conductor or bus 178. The multiple switch device includes a contactor 184 which is adapted to selectively engage the contacts 179 and 180, and a contactor 185 which is adapted to selectively engage the contacts 182 and 183. These contactors 184 and 185 are simultaneously operated through a suitable mechanical connection by a knob 186. As the contactors 184 and 185 are progressively moved downwardly, they cut into the potentiometer circuit, the resistances 177 and 181, and when the contactors are in their lower end position, the contactor 184 engages the contact and the contactor engages the contact 183. The conductor or bus 178 is connected to one side of the slide wire 128, the contactor 184 is connected to the other end of the slide wire 128 and the plus side of the voltage source for the slide wire, and the contactor 185 is connected to the minus side of the voltage source for the slide wire. The resistors 177 and 181 act as selective voltage dividers for regulating the voltage across the slide wire 128 to adapt the potentiometer apparatus to various full scale ranges, which ranges are identified as 1.25, 2.5, 5.0, 12.5, 25, 50, 125, 250, 500, 1250 and 2500. These designations represent the relative voltage or current input ranges to the potentiometer circuit for driving the recording mechanism completely across the chart, that is, full scale ranges. As an example, the resistance values of the resistors 177 in a downward direction are .1231, .2483, .4990, 1.254, 2.523, 5.100, 13.16, 27.78, 62.50 and 250.0. The corresponding re sistance values for the resistors 181, for example, are 249.88, 249.75, 249.5, 248.75, 247.5, 245.0, 237.5, 225.0, 200.0 and 125.0. When the contactors 184 and 185 are moved to the downward position so that they engage the contacts 180 and 183 respectively, there is no shunting of the slide wire and there is no resistance in series therewith, so that maximum voltage is applied to the slide wire 128. As the contactors 184 and 185 are progressively moved upwardly, the slide wire is shunted with decreasing resistance and the resistance in series with the slide wire is increased. By appropriately positioning the contactors 184 and 185 through the knob 186, any selected range of operation of the instrument may be obtained.

Voltage is supplied to the slide wire 128 by a pair of high current batteries or cells 188 and 189 connected in series, and these batteries or cells 188 and 189 may be conventional Burgess 4F cells or the equivalent, having a terminal voltage of 1.55 volts, each for a total of about 3.1 volts. A dropping resistor 190 is connected in series with the batteries 188 and 189, and this dropping resistor is shunted by a switch 191, which is normally closed, but which is opened when a plunger operating the switch is depressed. The shunt connected resistance 190 and switch 191 are connected to contacts 193 and 194 of a three-position switch having an intermediate dead contact 195 and a switch arm 196 adapted selectively to engage the contacts 193, 195 and 194. This switch arm 196 is connected through a standardizing control rheostat 197, which, in turn, is connected to the contactor 185.

Voltage is also supplied across the slide wire 128 by a pair of low current constant voltage batteries or cells 198 and 199, connected in series. These batteries or cells 198 and 199 may be Mallory RM42R mercury cells, each having a terminal voltage of about 1.35 volts. The 2.7 volts developed by these cells is extremely stable under low current drain. The plus side of the batteries or cells 198 and 199, as well as the plus sides of the battery cells 188 and 189, are connected to one side of the slide wire 128. The minus sides of these batteries or cells 198 and 199 are connected to contacts 200 and 201 of a three-position switch having an intermediate dead contact 202 and a switch arm 203. The switch arm 203 is also connected to the standardizing rheostat 197. The switch arms 196 and 203 are simultaneously operated by a knob 204 and when the switch arms are moved to either end position, the batteries 188, 189, 198 and 199 are connected across the slide wire 128. When the switch arms 196 and 203 are moved to the intermediate ofi position, these connections are broken so that there will be no drain upon the batteries. The resistor 190 may be one percent carbon film resistor having a resistance value of substantially 38.3 ohms and the standardizing rheostat 197 may be a ten-turn rheostat having a resistance value of about 100 ohms. As will be pointed out more fully hereafter, when the low current batteries or cells 198 and 199 are utilized in parallel with the high current batteries or cells 188 and 189, the switch 191 is opened so that the resistor 190 is arranged in series with the batteries 188 and 189, this switch 191 being automatically opened when the batteries 198 and 199 are incorporated into the potentiometer circuit. When both kinds of batteries or cells 138, 189 and 193, 199 are used, the applied to the potentiometer circuit by the batteries or cells 188 and 189 must be slightly lower than that applied by the batteries or cells 193 and 199. The resistor 190 drops the at batteries or cells 188 and 190 to about 2.6 volts, the of the batteries or cells 198 and 199 being about 2.7 volts. With this arrangement, the high current batteries or cells 188 and 189 supply most of the current and the low current batteries or cells 198 and 199 maintain a constant total current by supplying an additional amount of current necessary to develop 2.5 volts across the potentiometer circuit. By reason of this arrangement, therefore, a substantially constant current at a substantially constant voltage is applied to the potentiometer circuit over long periods of time, which eliminates the necessity for frequent standardizing of the potentiometer circuit. I-f desired, the batteries or cells 198 and 199 may be removed from the instrument and when this is done, the shorting switch 191 is automatically closed to shunt the resistor 190 so that the full voltage and current of the high current batteries 138 and 199 is applied through the standardizing rheostat 197 to the potentiometer circuit.

The potentiometer circuit also includes a standardization circuit including a resistor 206 of 1475 ohms, a calibration potentiometer 207 of 25 ohms having a contactor 208, and a standardizing resistor 209 having a resistance of 1,000 ohms. These elements 206, 207 and 209 are connected in series across the potentiometer circuit, the resistor 209 operating as the comparison resistor for standardizing purposes and the potentiometer 207, 208 operating as a calibration control.

The potentiometer circuit also includes a pushbutton type of switch mechanism including a switch arm 21 1 normally engaging a contact 212, but movable into engagement with a contact 213, and a switch arm 214 normally engaging a contact 215, but movable into engagement with a contact 216. These switch arms 211 and 214 are suitably mechanically connected together and operated by a pushbutton 219. The contact 216 is connected to the plus side of a standard cell 217, which may be of thet Epley type producing about 1.019 volts. The minus side of this standard cell is connected through a resistor 218-having a resistance value of 100K to the comparison resistor 209. The contact 213 is connected to the contactor 208 of the calibration potentiometer and the contact 212 is connected to one end of the slide wire 128.

The 2.5 volts developed across the potentiometer circuit is nominal, its exact value depending upon the percentage of the slide wire required for the pen carriage to traverse the chart. If in a particular instrument 99 percent of the slide wire is used, then the across the circuit should be which is nearly one percent over nominal. This will vary from instrument to instrument, depending upon the circumference of the cable drum 140. Calibration is accomplished by applying a known voltage at the recorder input which will give full scale pen travel in one of the range positions. .By adjusting the calibration potentiometer207, 20S and standardizing, in a manner to be pointed out hereafter, the scale can be calibrated to read exactly 1% the applied voltage. This, of course, is done on a millivolt range and need not be repeated on the other ranges.

The potentiometer apparatus is also provided with a displacement control mechanism generally designated at 221. It includes three switch arms 222, 223 and 224, which are simultaneously operated by a knob 225 with respect to seven contacts for each switch arm, which are designated Oil, and H, M, L on both sides of Off, which designations represent Off, and High, Medium, Low, in opposite directions, respectively. The left hand contacts H, M and L associated with the switch arms 222 and 223 as well as the Off contact associated with the switch arm 222 are connected to the collector winding 129 of the slide wire. The right hand contacts H, M and L associated with the switch arms 222 and 223 and the Off conact associated with the switch arm 224 are connected to the input voltage. The L and M contacts associated with the switch arm 224 are connected in parallel to resistances 226 and 227, respectively, the resistance 226 having a resistance value of K and the resistance 227 having a resistance value of 10K. These resistances 226 and 227 and the H contacts associated with the switch arm 224 are connected to the minus side of a battery or cell 228, such as a Mallory RM42R mercury cell. The plus side of the battery or cell 228 is connected to one end of a potentiometer 229, the other end of which is connected to the switch arms 222 and 224. The potentiometer 229 is a ten turn potentiometer and may have a resistance value of 1,000 ohms. The slider 230 of the potentiometer is connected to the switch arm 223.

In the Off position, the switch arms 222, 223 and 224 open the circuits through the battery or cell 228 and completely remove the displacement circuit from the potentiometer circuit so that it has no etiect thereon. When the switch arms 222, 223 and 224 are moved to the medium position as illustrated in FIG. 20, the potentiometer 229 is connected in series with the resistance 227 and is also connected in the potentiometer circuit to provide a medium amount of downscale displacement of the pen carriage, which amount may be adjusted by manipulating the slider 230. Other amounts of displacement may be obtained by adjusting the switch arms 222, 223 and 224 to the L and H contacts on the same side of the 011 contacts,

To measure the exact amount of displacement provided at any time all that is necessary is to position the switch arms 222, 223 and 224 to the corresponding contacts on the other side of the 011 contacts and to short the input terminals 234 and 235 to the potentiometer circuit. When this is done, the displacement control mechanism is reversed and the pen carriage will record on the chart the exact amount of such displacement. Thus, High, Medium or Low displacement may be provided and the amount of each such displacement may be regulated by movement of the ,slider 230, the amount of displacement may berneasured and recorded, and the displacement control may be removed entirely from the potentiometer circuit.

Voltages or currents which are to be measured and recorded by the instrument are applied to input terminals 231 and 232 of an input socket 233, which is suitably grounded. These voltages or currents may also be applied to input terminal posts 234 and 235, which are, in turn, connected to the terminals 231 and 232, respectively. Associated with the input terminals 234 and 235 is also a ground terminal 434 which may be connected to either terminal 234 or 235 by a suitable clip 435 for grounding purposes. Associated with the input terminals is a units switch mechanism which is selectively operated for measuring voltages having values of volts or millivolts, and currents having values of milliamps and microamps. This units switching mechanism includes a pair of switch arms 237 and 238 which are simultaneously operated by a knob 239 with respect to contacts marked V, mV, mA and ,uA. The negative input terminals 232 and 235 are connected to the contacts mV, mA and A associated with 

1. IN A SELF-BALANCING POTENTIOMETER MEASURING AND RECORDING APPARATUS, A POTENTIOMETER NETWORK INCLUDING MEANS FOR APPLYING AN INPUT VOLTAGE IN ACCORDANCE WITH AN INPUT SIGNAL, MEANS FOR PRODUCING A BALANCING VOLTAGE, AND A SLIDE WIRE FOR OPPOSING THE BALANCING AND INPUT VOLTAGES, DETECTOR MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE BALANCE AND UNBALANCE CONDITIONS OF THE POTENTIOMETER NETWORK, DRIVING MEANS CONTROLLED BY THE DETECTOR MEANS AND OPERATING THE SLIDE WIRE TO BALANCE THE POTENTIOMETER NETWORK, A RECORDING CHART, RECORDING MEANS OPERATED BY THE DRIVING MEANS FOR RECORDING THE INPUT VOLTAGES ON THE CHART, AND A CHART RANGE DISPLACEMENT MECHANISM INCLUDING AN ADJUSTABLE POTENTIOMETER CONNECTED INTO THE POTENTIOMETER NETWORK IN SERIES WITH THE INPUT VOLTAGE APPLYING MEANS, A VOLTAGE SOURCE FOR THE POTENTIOMETER, A PLURALITY OF RESISTANCES, AND A MULTIPLE SWITCHING MECHANISM MOVABLE TO AN OFF POSITION FOR SHUNTING THE POTENTIOMETER FROM THE POTENTIOMETER NETWORK AND FOR DISCONNECTING THE VOLTAGE SOURCE FROM THE POTENTIOMETER, TO OTHER POSITIONS ON ONE SIDE OF SAID OFF POSITION FOR CONNECTING THE VOLTAGE SOURCE TO THE POTENTIOMETER THROUGH SELECTED ONES OF THE RESISTANCES AND FOR CONNECTING THE POTENTIOMETER IN ONE DIRECTION INTO THE POTENTIOMETER NETWORK FOR DESIRED AMOUNTS OF DISPLACEMENTS, AND TO FURTHER POSITION ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID OFF POSITION CORRESPONDING TO SAID OTHER POSITIONS WHEN THE INPUT SIGNAL IS SHUNTED FOR CONNECTING THE VOLTAGE SOURCE TO THE POTENTIOMETER THROUGH CORRESPONDING SELECTED ONES OF THE RESISTANCES AND FOR CONNECTING THE POTENTIOMETER IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION INTO THE POTENTIOMETER NETWORK TO MEASURE AND RECORD THE AMOUNT OF SUCH DISPLACEMENTS. 